Can Black Light Detect Bed Bugs

The ultraviolet spectrum is invisible to the human eye so even though it looks purple the light itself is actually invisible.

Can black light detect bed bugs.

All of us know that bed bugs are keen on darkness and eager to avoid light at all costs but there is no evidence that light can kill the bed bugs. Live bed bugs leave clusters of dark brown or black spots of dried excrement on infested surfaces. Phosphors in many insects shells absorb ultraviolet light and give off visible light. Bed bugs are hiding experts so anything that makes detecting bed bugs easier can be beneficial.

However evidence of a bed bug infestation may be found in bedding and on mattresses. No black light systems don t help you to spot the bugs themselves. They can however help you to determine the presence of bedbug excrement which contains human blood. Uv light makes bed bugs more visible.

Bed bugs are visible to the naked human eye however you can only spot the adults with basic vision as the nymphs have a clear appearance which helps them to go unnoticed. Finding bed bugs in a dark room is a difficult task but uv light can make it easier to see them. The basic principle that uv lights follow is that they emit ultraviolet light. A bed bug uv light would require a long time of shining on the bugs to generate enough heat to eliminate them.

In large numbers these dark red pin point sized dots can be seen with the naked eye. But do not take that as a recommendation. The main reason is heat generation.